The Glamour of New York: A List

"He adored New York City. He idolized it all out of proportion...no, make that: he romanticized it all out of proportion. Yes. To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin." 

― Woody Allen, Manhattan. 

No matter how you feel about traffic, noise, rude people, expensive rents (and hotels), and general urban chaos, you can’t help but feel a frisson of excitement every time you come into New York. It is the most scintillating of cities. As Sinatra sang in that anthemic tune, it’s a place where ‘those little town blues’ just melt away.  I have been to New York many times, and I'm just as in love with it as I was when I first visited as a child. I've lived in several countries but my heart still beats a little faster with anticipation every time the taxi drives down the Long Island Expressway and the Chrysler Building comes into view. 

Lots of people I know are visiting New York this year, so I thought I'd share some of the places that I love about this city. Here, in no particular order, and some of New York's prettiest and most memorable hideaways. I hope they inspire you, and perhaps even encourage you to seek out your own favourite New York places.

HENRI BENDEL DEPARTMENT STORE

Forget Saks (although the shoes sales are sublime). Forget Barneys and even Bergdorf Goodman. (Ditto re shoe sales.) Henri Bendel is where I go to grab great gifts for friends. Avoid the front of the store, which is frantic with sales assistants and cosmetic counters, and instead head to the rear of the ground floor, which offers gorgeous accessories, scarves, jewellery, books and other lovely New York-ish gifts. Fifth Avenue.

BENOIT BAR & RESTAURANT

One of Vogue Contributing Editor Andre Leon Talley's favourite hangouts, this French-inspired bolthole is a little piece of Paris in Manhattan. Go there during Fashion Week and you'll spend most of the night playing Spot The Star. And if you can't afford dinner, the bar is just as beautiful on its own. 60 West 55th Street.

BALTHAZAR BAR & RESTAURANT

Still a favourite with locals and tourist alike, even after all these years. Keith McNally's Parisian-style bistro is just as stylish as anything on the Left Bank. The energy, however, is pure New York. And the conversations are as memorable as any you'll have. I went with an investment banker and we had a two-hour discussion about Brooklyn (the good and the bad). Completely enlightening. And the food is great, too.  80 Spring Street, SoHo.

CAFFE STORICO 

A new kid on the New York block, this cheery little cafe is hidden away in the New York Historical Society (which, in itself, is one of New York's best-kept secrets).  The lemon-and-white colour scheme is refreshingly different from anything else in the city, but it's the dinner-plate decor that really made me smile. It's glamorous and yet whimsical at the same time. My favourite new place to eat in Manhattan. And judging by the swarms of diners walking in, it's the new favourite of many Upper West Siders, too! 170 Central Park West.

THE FLATIRON DISTRICT
The Flatiron is famous for its iconic, iron-shaped building, but the neighbourhood is fast becoming one of the funkiest in town. It's full of design stores, many of which are housed in extraordinary architecture, so it's great place to wander if you're into design. But it's also a lovely place to take a seat and linger – either in the loveliness of Madison Square Park (grab a shake at the iconic Shake Shack), or in one of the sleek new eateries, the best of which is Eleven Madison Park (shown). (Bottom image via viamagna.es)

THE NOMAD HOTEL

One of my two favourite hotels in Manhattan (the other is the Gramercy Square Hotel), this inspiring and utterly delightful hideaway is a gilded dream of a place. 

The hotel styles itself on a bygone era of travel and every aspect of the design is one part sentimentality, one part sophisticate. For example, upended vintage steamer trunks serve as bar fridges in the rooms, which are decorated with vintage maps, old prints, gilt frames, and swathes of Parisian-style silk. It's lush, elegant, and completely enchanting, (More on the Nomad soon!) 1170 Broadway.

THE STRAND BOOKSTORE

My partner groans whenever we head here, because I can spend hours in this store, wandering the aisles. It's still one of the best bookstores in New York – on our last visit, I found a copy of (the now out-of-print) Cecil Beaton: In Vogue for $20 and Bill Blass' autobiography Bare Blass for $5. There are fantastic literary finds to be found here. In fact, I could have bought up the whole biography and fashion sections – and lots of people do. Kate Spade's buyers reportedly come here for the books displayed in Kate Spade stores. 828 Broadway.

THE EMPIRE HOTEL

Oh, how I love the Empire! It's almost as good as the Nomad and the Gramercy Park Hotels. (Perhaps even on a par.) Located on the Upper West Side, it features a high-glam interior that is almost Hollywoodesque. But it's not the interior design that guests return for: it's the service. Staff here are so impeccable, you can't fault anything. They kindly gave me an upgrade to a suite (see above), and were so lovely, I'd return in a heartbeat. It went through a bad patch a year ago, I believe, but I can tell you that things have turned around and the place is running like a well-oiled Bentley! Beautiful. Just beautiful.  (The rooftop bar, terrace and pool are fabulous, too.) 44 West 63rd Street.

THE MONDRIAN HOTEL, SOHO 

The Mondrian doesn't get as much press as The Crosby Hotel down the road and that's a shame, as it's just as innovative, and just as stylish. The exterior (above) is a creative mix of conservatory-style elegance meets urban rusticity, while the restaurant (top image) is truly one of the prettiest in town. I loved the table full of glass cloches (a nod to the greenhouse theme), the crystal chandeliers, and the gardening tools lining the shelves. A gorgeous place to come if you love gardens, as I do. The staff were great as well. I hate snobbish, arrogant people and there were none to be seen here! Everyone was as delightful as the decor. 9 Crosby Street, SoHo.

THE PENINSULA AND THE PLAZA HOTELS

If you've been to New York before but are travelling with someone who hasn't, and you want to show them some of the city's 'old glamour', then head to either the rooftop terrace of The Peninsula Hotel on Fifth Avenue (top image) for one of the best views of Fifth Avenue and Central Park, or the salon of the Plaza, for a quintessential New York-style afternoon tea. Both will leave a suitably good impression. Fifth Avenue.

GRAMERCY PARK, AND THE GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL

Gramercy Park is the last of New York's private parks. Like the park in the film Notting Hill, it's only available to residents: you need to own an apartment on the park to have a key. One way around this is to stay at the Gramercy Park Hotel (which is also on the park). The hotel is not only happy to let you experience this exclusive green space, it also provides a coolly glamorous rooftop terrace so you can look out over the entire neighbourhood! A symphony in green, black and white, it's highly popular with locals and guests: on a sunny afternoon, nothing beats it at this level! (More on the Gramercy Park Hotel and the area in a future post.) 2 Lexington Avenue.

RALPH LAUREN ON MADISON

If you haven't yet seen Ralph Lauren's new store on Madison Avenue (opposite his old one in the Rhinelander Mansion), then make sure you pop in, if only for the architecture. The staircase is one of the most beautiful in the city. 888 Madison Avenue.

PIPINO

A hair salon so cute it looks like a confectionary store. The decor is divine, the staff are lovely, and the hair cuts would make even a supermodel happy! 3 Center Market Place.

GEMMA AND THE BOWERY HOTEL

A cutey in the Bowery district, Gemma is the restaurant of the Bowery Hotel. Both hotel and restaurant are worth a look (the hotel's bathrooms are some of the plushest in town), but if you've only got half an hour, stop here for a drink. The interior is startlingly chic. 335 Bowery.

And when the President drives past, well, that's when you know you're in a great city!

All photographs copyright © Janelle McCulloch 2012, except where indicated.

Feeling Pink (and Green) in Old Town Key West...

Escaping to The Village of Islands

I want to say a heartfelt thanks to all of The Library's beautiful readers, and especially those who have taken the time to post thoughtful comments these past two weeks. Reading them has made my heart sing as we've travelled through the US. I also want to apologise for the pathetic lack of posting from this end. It's never nice (or polite) to neglect a blog for too long, but I hope you'll bear with me. You see, we've been a tad distracted of late. We've actually been on our honeymoon.

It's actually our 'Rehearsal Honeymoon' (or 'Faux Moon' as RR calls it), but as it's the only honeymoon we'll ever get, it's official enough for me! (The nuptials are very soon, but as my partner is super-private, I'll probably be as shy about posting details of those as well.)

I don't want to bore you senseless with photos (and admittedly I haven't taken many, for once in my life), but I would like to show you a glimpse of where we stayed, an enchanting hideaway called The Moorings, down on the Florida Keys. It is, quite simply, my favourite place in the USA. And quite possibly the world.

PS A special thanks to my new friend Pamela (or 'The Diplomat's Wife', as RR calls her) who has been updating me on her European travels via the Comments on this blog. Pamela, you see, is also celebrating a honeymoon of sorts – her second! So it's quite fitting that we've been exchanging correspondence via our blogs. Pamela, I do hope this trip is as memorable and as wonderful as your marriage / relationship has been all these years.

I first stumbled across The Moorings three years ago when I came here for a photo shoot. I took one look at the beach, the idyllic little houses and the whole understated beauty of it all and fell head-over-palm tree in love. Everyone does. Even George Bush Sr. was won over by its endearing charm. The former president stayed here the same time I did and was reportedly so enamoured with the place he now returns each year to go fishing. Just him, a few mates and half a dozen Secret Service. (Bet those Secret Service men pull straws to get that gig!)

This is where Georgie stays. Beautiful, isn't it? Apparently he's a very nice man, according to Thomas Gibson, The Moorings' manager. I lean towards the Democrats myself (unlike my partner who is a firm Republican man!), but I'd happily have Georgie stay next door again. No loud music. No mooning out the windows. No running around the beach naked with a US flag draped over the nether bits. Those Republicans are obviously a discreet lot. (Unlike my Democrats who roared through New York yesterday in a cavalcade worthy of North Korea. I waved to the President as he passed – I just happened to be on Madison Ave at the time – but the Tour de President flew by so fast all I caught was some exhaust fumes out of 10 or so of the cavalcade cars. Mr President, perhaps you may like to consider riding a bike next time? I have a Schwinn. It's very handy for getting around town.)

But back to The Moorings. The estate is actually a former coconut plantation situated in a tucked-away place called Islamorada, which means 'Village of Islands'. (Beautiful name, isn't it? I'd love to put 'Village of Islands' as my address.) Unlike the cute name, the property was an eyesore when the owner, Hubert Baudoin, bought it. All it had were a handful of derelict old beach houses, a scattering of rusted cars, and a whole lotta palm trees blocking the view. A true visionary, Mr Baudoin spent the next few years painstakingly and lovingly restoring the property into the magical escape it is today. An anti-resort, it features just 18 cottages on 18 acres, which means you rarely see another person. And that suited my fake husband just fine!

The grand house with the blue shutters above was actually built by Mr Baudoin for his mother. He wanted a place for her to stay when she came to visit. So he knocked this little French Colonial number up. As you do. Mrs Baudoin spends half of the year in Africa and the other half in Paris, so the interior is a mix of French glamour and Out of Africa. I've seen inside. It's fabulous.

This is what Mrs Baudoin uses to drive around the islands. It's a Bentley. Personally, I think a Bentley is perfect for purring around the Keys. I like the garage too.

We didn't stay at The Great House. It's really only for presidents and people like J.Lo, not unknown plebs from Australia. But we did stay somewhere just as gorgeous. This was our cutie (above).

Here's another darling one with pink shutters. I asked the Hubster if we could buy a beach house with pink shutters one day? He was on the hammock at the time and muttered something beneath his political book that sounded like a profanity. But I could have been wrong. It could have been: "Of course honey".

This is him saying "Of course we can buy a beachhouse!". I swear I heard it. I'm positive it wasn't the palm trees whispering.

Seven other words you always long to hear are: "We'd like to give you an upgrade". This is what happened when we went to rent our usual Hyundai cheapie in Miami beach. Instead of the ol' Hynie, we received this: a black Mustang convertible. Talk about an upgrade.

Unfortunately, it was wasted on us. As we both burn easily, we only took the top down for three minutes to take this posy photo. Yes, we drove all the way down the Keys in a convertible with the top UP! For all we knew, we could have been driving the yellow Hyundai.

The place is so beautiful there are orchids growing out of the trees. Like weeds. Can you imagine a place where orchids are as prolific as weeds? I couldn't until I saw it for my own eyes.

They had my books in the Lobby / Reception, but I think they just put them there because they knew I was coming. That's the kind of thoughtful, generous thing they do at The Moorings.

More details: www.themooringsvillage.com. If you ever have a chance to stay here, do so, as it really is worth it. Thank you to Thomas and the lovely staff – who treat every guests as well as the president. We're so grateful to have stayed here.